Archive 2015 · Swifts

Bsmooth
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Swifts

I was fooling around tonight trying to get the swallows again. I was shooting using a 1DMKIV and 70-200F4 on AI servo and using all 45 points at 800ISO. Didn't get any swallows, almost every one was blurry, and those were all at F7.1. These were shot at F11 and turned out slightly better, but pretty noisy.
The swifts are very dark and I was shooting using Aperture Priority, still need to get more comfortable using manual as well. Any advice would be helpful.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3890/18946710179_7cfa02793c_b.jpg

http://farm1.staticflickr.com/454/18946710129_c13b6ef533_b.jpg

Jun 24, 2015 at 08:43 PM

morris
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Swifts

Good job tracking them Bruce

Morris

Jun 24, 2015 at 08:49 PM

Photo Scout
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Swifts

Sounds similar to my experience shooting swallows, blur, focus difficulty, and high ISO. If there is a way with your camera to set ISO to Auto with limitations, ( specify a minimum SS and a maximum sensitivity setting) that might be worth a try, and result in less shots lost to motion blur, however, shooting like this involves a low "keeper" rate, so if you have got a few good ones that's great. I like the shot with 3 in the frame very much. I found lightening "shadows" in Lightroom somewhat significantly to be necessary, since the camera meters for the sky with with a small subject. You could also set a little extra exposure value in camera so that the birds will be brighter.

Jun 24, 2015 at 10:24 PM

Bsmooth
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Swifts

For these I did set almost 2/3 of a stop extra, but I guess I should have dialed in more. I did lighten the shadows a bit too, maybe too much to compensate for the underexposure, which leads to the increase in noise under the wings.
Those swifts were so cool, they kept coming in and peeling off like aircraft, great to watch.
For some reason every single swallow shot came out blurry, even compared to the swifts, which is something I just don't understand, since they were shot with all the same settings.

Jun 25, 2015 at 05:47 AM

Herb Houghton
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Swifts

The last shot is a sweet shot Bruce, 3 sharp swifts in a row !!! A lot of IF guys use center point AF or a square block of 9 Af points on the newer AF systems. It's more reliable imo to put a selected AF point(s) on the bird rather than depending on the sensor to pick him out of the sky. On the mark IV, I use two AF points all of the time with surrounding assist points, which adds another AF point plus two additional assists to the typical center point w/assist points AF. I also move the two selected AF points below the actual center point for skimmers and eagles, to allow more room above for the wing up shots which may get clipped when getting almost full frame IF shots. In this example, I'm using center and the one to the right. I included an iPhone screen shot from zoom browser showing the two AF points I use on swallows. It doesn't show the surrounding AF points which were also being used. I'll take the image down if you like.

Herb

Jun 25, 2015 at 05:53 AM

Bsmooth
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Swifts

Please leave it up, If you don't mind, The MKIV has a big learning curve and your shots always come out so well, I'll take all the good help I can get.
I didn't know you could select 2 AF points, I thought it was just one and surrounding points. I've tried the single AF point and I just can't keep it on the swallows.
I'll have to read the manual again to see about setting two AF points.
Thanks very much Herb , your help and advice are always greatly appreciated. I have to figure out how to get shots soon of the swallows, they won't be nesting much longer, and I'll miss my chance again.
Also I didn't know you had to "lock" focus using the center point, even If your shooting all 45 points. Is there a way to tell when you lock focus using AI Servo ? Since the AF pints don't light, I wasn't sure how to tell when lock is acheived.

Jun 25, 2015 at 08:33 AM


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